Favours
by Thecattygrl
Summary: Jake needs to make a deal with a demon and Dirk proposes some alternatives. Demonstuck apocalypse AU. Mostly alpha kids centric. Based off a roleplay. Enjoy, I suppose.
1. Chapter One

The year is 2019. Exactly two years ago, an event went down in Detroit that is referred to simply as The End. Jake wasn't there, but word spread as quickly as the downfall of government - that is, very. A man known as Caliborn had opened the gate between this world and the one of angels and demons. The bastard had killed his sister as part of the ritual. He had summoned the Big Bad, who took no time in possessing him and bringing an entire demonic army upon the world.  
With civilisation crashing, people were left to fend for themselves. Jake had started off the journey alone. He could have stayed just fine on his secluded little island, but his friend Janey was out there somewhere and like hell he was going to leave her silly spoon wielding self alone as well. Along the way, he met Roxy, a young girl with short blonde hair and a excellent aim with a rifle. It was by her that he learned of the demons weakness'. He often weighed the small rock salt bullets in his hands, thinking how lucky he was that no demon had bothered him before Roxy could get to him. It was her exorcism spell and quick thinking that saved his life and he often hoped he could someday repay her.  
The latest attack had been three days ago and Roxy was completely bed ridden. He'd done his best to wrap and clean her wound, but without the correct medical supplies, it hadn't been much. A weaker soul would have moved on by now, but Roxy was a tough cookie. He thanked whatever gods out there that she was. Jake was desperate now and he needed to ensure that this would never happen, again.  
Jane was also pretty badly wounded, but she hadn't gotten the worse of it like Roxy had. Poor girl'd missed one particular demon coming from behind and as soon as it was on her, Jake knew she would not be getting out of the pile unscathed.  
"Jake," Jane stopped him in the hallway, limping over to the wall to lean against it. She took the spray can from his arms, giving him a hard look, "What exactly are you doing?"  
"Nothing, Janey," Jake insisted, taking the can back and forcing a smile onto his lips, "Don't you worry your little head. I'm just doing a quick task."  
"Jake," Jane warned, "You better not be summoning something."  
"What?" Jake demanded, letting hurt flood his face to further convince her,"I'm wounded, Janey! What would make you think I would ever do something so utterly stupid?"  
"No, I'm wounded," Jane corrected, "And you've got a hero complex."  
"I assure you that's not what I'm doing," Jake replied, "Don't you worry one bit. I may be a bit thick at times, but I'm still not that much so." Janey nodded, uncertainly, but let him be, hobbling off to go care for Roxy. Jake would have liked nothing more than to gun down the bastard who got her leg.  
Closing the door and locking it, he looked around, quickly scanning his surroundings for potential weapons, if necessary. Nothing was really going to be very helpful and he left his guns in his room, but there was a metal pole on the ground and he placed it next to the other supplies despite the fact he knew it probably wouldn't do much if the demon he summoned actually did try and attack him.  
He quickly painted a pentagram on the stone ground, getting his hands slightly dirty as he knelt on the ground. He wiped them off on his pants and pulled out a slip of paper that had a few lines of Latin scribbled on it. His hand was trembling slightly as he choked out the words. Doubt was beginning to ebb it's way into Jake's mind and he forced himself to just get on with it before he doomed Roxy, and probably Janey as well, to death.  
The pentagram began to glow as the last line was uttered and Jake stepped back, warily, pocketing the paper. A figure began to appear in the centre of it. They were tall and lanky. Blonde hair etched back from their head and his face was set in a thin unamused line, like he had just been dragged away from something important to entertain an insect.  
"What' you summon me for?" He demanded, stepping from the pentagram and circling Jake, calmly. His voice had a slight southern drawl to it that Jake might have found attractive in any other situation, but now only added to his intimidation.  
"I..." Jake could feel his stomach clench, fear boiling just below the surface, but he refused to let it show. He could feel Dirk's eyes burning into his back as he stood perfectly still, trying to form a coherent sentence, "I was looking to make a pact."  
"I assumed as much," the demon answered, smoothly, "What were you looking for?"  
"I lead a bit of an entourage," Jake explained, "My friends are wounded. I want you to heal them... And protect them from future attacks."  
"Hmm," he considered, stopping in front of Jake, invading his personal bubble a little too much for Jake's comfort, "And what about payment?"  
Jake laughed, nervously, "I suppose you won't accept canned goods and wads of soggy money."  
"You're funny," the demon stated, unmoved.  
"Not much of a laugher, then," Jake looked down at his hands, picking his nails. It was an old nervous habit that he generally tried to stuff down, but the idea to do so didn't even cross his mind at the moment, "I don't suppose there is anything material I can offer you before the obvious exchange?"  
"Probably not."  
Jake bit his lip, looking back up into the demon's eyes. They were a tangerine colour, serious and annoyed and Jake found himself staring at them a little too long, "There's usually a ten year deal on these soul exchanges, yes? I'd like to make sure my efforts aren't for not."  
"You don't only have to give your soul," the demon informed, looking Jake over, "Although that would be ideal."  
"What else do you want?" Jake raised an eyebrow.  
"Memories or dreams of my choosing," he suggested, "Whatever is particularly important to humans."  
"Oh, that sounds much more appealing," Jake's lip quirked up, slightly, "Do I get to know which one you take?"  
"If I'm feeling generous."  
"Are you... Feeling particularly so?" Jake inquired.  
"If you do a favour for me, I could even let you put one or two off limits," Dirk smirked, standing close enough for Jake to feel the warmth radiating off him.  
"What kind of favour are we talking about, here?" Jake wondered.  
The demon leaned in, brushing his lips past Jake's ear, "Ever fucked a demon?"  
"W-what!" Jake demanded. He could feel his ears heat up and presumably turn red, "I'm sorry, mate. I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you just ask if I'd experienced intercourse with a demon?"  
"Did the do with a hellion, yes." He placed a hand on Jake's hip. Jake shifted, staring wide-eyed back up at the demon.  
"I... Can't say I have," Jake answered. The hands on him were warm and he was repulsed by how much he liked the way the demon's fingers seemed to fit perfectly with his hips, "I... Uh... Assume this isn't just just casual conversation between two newly acquainted chums, then. Is that the favour you are after?"  
"Yes," the demon confirmed.  
"If I do this, I get to pick which memories are off limits?" Jake confirmed.  
"Two memories," the demon corrected.  
"And then once you take said memories, you'll help my friends?" Jake continued.  
"Yes."  
"Well, for the sake of my friends and my sanity..." Jake looked down, "I... Suppose I will agree."  
"I'm particularly found of the reactions of humans when they get worked by a demon," the demon smirked, pushing him backwards towards the wall and pinning him there.  
"That's, ah..."Jake cringed away from the cold stone wall, pressing against his much warmer body, "Quite concerning, however we have something much more important to focus on that I have completely forgotten. Do you have a name, by any chance?"  
"You can call me Dirk."  
Jake opened his mouth to comment, but Dirk never gave him the chance, instantly latching onto his lips and forcing his way inside. Jake squeaked, taken by surprise, but he quickly melted into, letting his eyes flutter closed and his hands rest on Dirk's shoulders. He started feeling dizzy and his breathing became erratic and he pulled away, choking out a quick word between breath, "Jake."  
Dirk hummed quietly, acknowledging him, and placing kisses down his jawline to his neck. Jake's chin tilted up on its own accord, allowing Dirk better access.  
"Quite... Talented m-mouth you've got there," Jake mumbled. Dirk ignored his comment, searching along for Jake's sweet spot and drawing a soft mew out of him upon arrival, "Ah... That's the one you're after, mate." Dirk began sucking and biting the spot, leaving it red. The actions sent blood straight south, and Jake simply curled his fingers into Dirk's shoulder.  
"Look at you... All hot, already." Dirk slid a hand under Jake's shirt and brushing against one of the nipples, "Perhaps we can make this a bit better for you, huh? Any kinks or fetishes you'd like me to indulge in?"  
"Uh..." Jake had his head thrown back, mouth gaping in a slightly elliptical 'o' shape, "N-none that I'm both aware of and willing to entrust with you. How about you, then? T-this is your... Ah... favour, after all."  
"Long as I'm not being subjected to submission, we'll get along just fine," Dirk promised, placing his leg between Jake's, resting his knee just barely against Jake's crotch.  
"Oh gosh." Jake rutted his hips into Dirk's leg, searching for much needed contact. Dirk smirked, brushing his lips against Jake's neck, again.  
"Enjoying ourselves, are we?"  
"Yes, because nothing screams enjoyment like a slowly building erection and a flipping tease," Jake mumbled, sarcastically, burying his face into Dirk's shoulder. The demon chuckled, rubbing his knee against Jake's crotch, which Jake met with equal fever, groaning.  
"Find us a bed and I'll fuck you into the mattress." Dirk's voice was barely audible, but Jake responded passionately to it, anyways, nodding his head several times in succession.  
"Yes. Yes. Yes. Uh, bedroom... Third door... To the right."  
"Show me," Dirk commanded, releasing him and stepping back. Jake whined a bit at the loss of contact, but peeled himself from the wall, striding towards the hallway. In the back of his mind, Jake knew letting the demon out of this room could be terribly detrimental to his friends' safety, but as he fumbled with the lock, Dirk pressed against his back, fingers splayed across his hips and all those thoughts left him. He glanced around quickly, making sure the coast was clear and was thrilled to find neither Jane nor Roxy were anywhere to be found, specifically Jane.  
Jake pushed open the door to the bedroom down the hallway, walking the distance to the bed and sitting in the centre of it. The room was a relatively plain one, containing nothing but the bed, an empty dresser and a clear desk.  
"It's an spare guest room," Jake explained, quietly, "I hope it'll do."  
Dirk nodded, crossing the room to climb on the bed as well, pushing Jake down on the mattress and hovering just inches above him. Jake gave him an impatient look, wrapping his arms around the demon's neck.  
"Hmm?" He smirked, his voice laced in a teasing tone.  
"Is that some indication you want me to beg for it?" Jake demanded, planting little kisses along his jawline.  
"Perhaps," Dirk purred.  
"Oh, Dirk," Jake dragged out his vowels, dramatically. His eyes rolled in compliment to the sarcasm, "I cannot bear all this incessant teasing. Take me, now."  
"Convincing," Dirk frowned, unamused.  
"I am excellent at this, I know," Jake snipped. He may have agreed to sex, but he certainly wasn't desperate enough to make this easy for him, "Did I forget the please? My bad."  
"You should get serious," Dirk brushed a few fingertips against Jake's crotch.  
"Ah," Jake lifted his hips slightly, but Dirk simply pushed them back down, "Dirk..."  
"Beg."  
"Please..." Jake mumbled, still trying to hold onto his slipping pride.  
"Come now. You can do better than that," Dirk palmed him roughly, once, keeping his hips secure against the mattress.  
Jake moaned, loudly, "Please! Dirk..."  
"Better, but not quite," he chuckled, lightly rubbing his thigh, but purposefully ignoring his member.  
"Oh gosh," Jake whined, squeezing his eyes shut, "What do you want? I'll do anything, just... Please."  
"Please what? Be specific."  
"I'm not going to say it," Jake refused.  
"I'll leave," Dirk warned, removing his hands from Jake's body, altogether.  
"Nonono," Jake's eyes shot open in panic and he grabbed Dirk's wrist, "Don't flipping go... Bloody heck."  
"Then say it," Dirk instructed.  
Jake huffed and turned his head to the side, "Dirk... I need you to... Copulate with me."  
"Too much of a gentleman," Dirk turned him back to face him, orange eyes burning into Jake's emerald ones, "Try it dirtier."  
Jake furrowed his brow, biting his lip and muttered, just above a whisper, "Please fuck me."  
"Louder," Dirk pulled the buttons to Jake's pants. He licked his lips at the sound of the zipper being undone.  
"F-fuck me," Jake stammered, desperation obvious in his eyes.  
"Good boy," Dirk slipped his hand into Jake's boxers and taking ahold of his dick, pumping up an already partially hard erection. Jake moaned out some garbled nonsense, digging his fingers into Dirk's back.  
"Undress," Dirk commanded, still pumping. Jake tossed aside his glasses, first, and them proceeded to remove his shirt. His pants were kicked away just as Dirk removed his hand from Jake.  
"No, wait," Jake mumbled, fumbling for Dirk with his eyes hooded, "Don't stop, I'm-"  
"I'm not going anywhere," Dirk chuckled, removing his shirt and pants, leaving them both in nothing but a pair of boxers, "You're a desperate little slut, aren't you? When's the last time you had a proper bang?"  
"Months ago," Jake admitted, tugging Dirk's hand down to rub against his crotch.  
"Mm. Poor baby," Dirk laughed, pulling his and Jake's boxers off and tossing them to the ever-growing pile on the floor, "You do have lube, I hope." Jake nodded, pointing to the desk across the room.  
"Top drawer."  
Dirk stood to retrieve the lube, taking his time getting it. Jake snuck his hand to his member, impatiently, trying to coax it over the edge.  
"Don't you dare," Dirk slapped his hand away and pulled Jake's legs up over his shoulder. A glob of lube was splashed against Dirk's fingers.  
"Ah! Flipping heck!" Jake gasped as a finger was pressed into him. Dirk hummed, calmly, pressing in a second before Jake was really a costumed to the first, "Ah... H-hurts..."  
"Shhh," Dirk pressed a few kisses to Jake's thigh, scissoring his fingers. He brushed lightly against Jake's prostate, pulling a moan out of him. The third finger was added and Jake shifted.  
"That spot," he breathed, "Hit it again."  
"Is that a command?" Dirk asked, pulling his fingers out.  
"Nonono shit!" Jake whined, feeling suddenly empty, "Please... I need it... Dirk..." Dirk watched him as he pleaded, spreading lubricant on his dick and giving it a few strokes to get it up a bit more. It didn't take long, as it was already well past half erect - he simply just had much more practice hiding them, after all.  
Dirk pressed the head to Jake entrance, to which he cringed, his nails digging into the mattress so much his knuckles had turned white. Once he was far enough in, Dirk thrust his hip forward, sending electricity across Jake's body. He screamed out Dirk's name.  
The demon set up a nice rhythm fairly quickly, leaving Jake's throbbing cock between them and smacking his hand away the few times he tried to be inconspicuous and failed.  
"Touch me," Jake begged, leaking precum. Dirk's fingers ghosted over him, and he hissed, trying to move his hips up to them.  
"You like me balls deep in your ass, don't you," he grinned, moving his fingers away until Jake settled back down.  
"Y-yes," he managed.  
"Tell me."  
"I like..." Jake trailed off, breathing heavily.  
"Don't stop now, babe," Dirk cooed.  
Jake moaned loudly, "I... Ah... Like... You... Inside of me."  
"Thatta boy," Dirk approved, pumping Jake's erection. Both of them were so close, but he'd be damned if he came first, "We'll have to do this again sometime. I rather find that British..." He paused momentarily, Jake's ass tightening around him, "...Accent incredibly hot."  
"Y-yes," Jake couldn't form many coherent words at the moment, but he still tried, "Dirk... Gonna..."  
"Do it."  
Jake gave one last throaty moan and then came, spreading the white across Dirk and his bear chests. The demon was more than ready to follow suit, filling Jake up with his cum. They road out their orgasms, silently, breathing heavily.  
"Mm... Ready for round two?" Dirk pulled out of him, whipping his hands on his legs.  
"I don't think so," Jake turned to bury his face in the mattress, muffling his already exhausted words. Dirk chuckled, patting Jake's ass and standing.  
"You go get cleaned up," Dirk suggested, "We'll discuss business next time."  
"Wait, but I-" Jake turned to face him, but stopped abruptly. He found himself alone, the slight burning in his legs the only evidence anyone had been there at all.


	2. Chapter Two

Jake awoke the next morning to the smell of breakfast wafting to his nose. He sleepily opened his eyes to see Roxy standing over him, holding a plate of toast and a single sausage link.  
"Woah," Jake sat up, abruptly, greedily taking the plate and staring at the meal in wonder, "Is it my birthday?"  
"No, you dunce," Roxy laughed, "We're celebrating!"  
"Celebrating what?" Jake looked up, suddenly realising who was standing over him, "Roxy! What are you doing out of bed! You're supposed to be far beyond repair and-"  
"Alright, Jakey. Calm your little girly parts," Roxy patted his head, "I'm all good. Janey, too."  
"What?" Jake blinked  
"Like a miracle, I guess," she smiled, calmly, "Welp, I've got some bread to get to myself, so..."  
"Right, right," Jake waved her off, "Go enjoy your breakfast, Roxy."  
"Ay, ya, Captain."  
Jake rose from the bed and dressed, eating his toast on the way to the main hall. He joined Jane at a table, where she poked her own sausage link, suspiciously.  
"Jake," she said, not turning to look at him, "How long do you think it was before most meat processing companies went bankrupt?"  
"Probably the same time as most business," Jake replied, "A month or two, if they were popular enough; sooner is more likely."  
"This should be inedible by now, don't you think?" she stated.  
"Just goes to show what they were putting in it towards the end, eh?" Jake winked, shoving his own link into his mouth in its entirety and grinning. Jane frowned and pushed her plate away, having already eaten her toast. Roxy strolled in, sitting on the table between the two.  
"Janey, doll... You should eat your breakfast. When's the next time we might even have one?" Roxy poked her hand. Jane smiled, softly, but she shook her head.  
"No, thank you, Roxy."  
"I hope you aren't trying to go on a diet or something of the sort," Jake swallowed his sausage and tilted his head in concern, "We've already explained that being a little healthier than literally starving can only be a good thing."  
"I'm not fat," she turned to Jake, narrowing her eyes. He held up his hands, alarm painting his face. He turned to Roxy and sent her distress waves. She laugh at them.  
"Janey, he's just trying to say you should take care of yourself," she explained, "We're fortunate to have some with such a healthy figure and it'd be a shame to lose you."  
"Oh," Jane turned to Jake, smiling quietly. A light blush painted her cheeks, "Well. In that case, thank you, Jake." He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud banging coming from the front entrance. They all stopped, staring as the person at the entrance began knocking again.  
"Jane. Go get my pistols," Jake instructed, to which she nodded and silently left her seat, "Roxy. I want you hidden."  
"Jake-" she started, but he cut her off.  
"I don't trust some miracle enough to risk it. You know the code that means it's safe?"  
She nodded and he sent her off, albeit grumpily. He tossed the extra dishes on top of one another and approached the door, peering out the peephole at reeling back in surprise. He quickly unlocked the door and stared at the figure on the front stoop.  
"D-Dirk?" He choked out. The blonde man grinned at him. His general appearance was the same, however he had slightly changed some things. A pair of pointed sunglasses rested over his eyes and he held his arm to himself, as if it was wounded.  
"Hey, Babe," Dirk replied, stepping into the building and catching a gun as it slid across the floor with his foot, "Were you expecting someone?"  
"Simply protocol," Jake answered, "Britishguy Sillyname."  
"What?" Dirk blinked.  
"Do you know him?" Jane appeared, standing behind them with a suspicious look in her eye.  
"Yeah," Jake confirmed, "He's... An acquaintance."  
"A bit more than that, eh?" Dirk chuckled, facing Jane and taking her hand to place a kiss on it, "It's nice to make yours, however. You may call me Dirk."  
"Oh," she took her hand back, blushing slightly, "Jane and um... Same." Jake glared at him, but he just smiled, cheekily.  
"Acquaintances, you say?" another voice sounded from the direction of the kitchen. Roxy had a sour look on her face and Jake raised an eyebrow at it, "Where from, may I ask?"  
"Well-" Jake began, only to be interrupted by Jane.  
"From his little trips to the mainland, of course. Dirk probably was in the area. You know how Jake is; always has to show off when he meets new people."  
"That is completely true," Dirk laughed, placing his good arm around Jake's shoulder, "Sure loves his movies, doesn't he?"  
"That's exactly what I said!" Jane grinned.  
"Well, as lovely as it is to meet any friend of Jake's," Roxy ground her teeth together, "I think we would all like to know what exactly he is doing here."  
"Excuse the question," Dirk evaded the question, "But are those pink eyes you have. Little bit unusual, yeah?"  
"It's the effects left from a childhood disease," Roxy answered, quickly, "I believe you have a purpose to explain, however."  
"Yes, you are right," Dirk confirmed, "Well, I was in the area when I heard about this little entourage up in the hills from some locals. The leader sounded an awful lot like Tarzan here, I just thought..."  
"You could dig your claws into our supplies?" Roxy hissed.  
"I could get some medical attention for my wound," Dirk replied, cradling his arm. Jake held his hand out for his arm and took it, examining. He raised his head in worry when he felt Dirk flinched and tensed upon contact, "Careful there. Don't want to irritate it."  
"This doesn't look pretty," Jake took note of the long slash down his arm, now that it wasn't hidden from view. A sickly green color arose in vains extending from it. Red blood was bubbling up in certain places when he poked, but it was mostly scarred over, "But not to serious. I think I can manage. I need to get something's from my room. Roxy, show him to the rest room."  
"Sure," she returned, not turning her glare until Jake left and then only turned on her heel, walking away and expecting Dirk to follow her, which he did. The hallway was dimmer than the room they just emerged from and she shoved him against a wall, baring her teeth.  
"What the fuck do you want from us?" she demanded.  
"At the moment, a little bit of help with my arm," he replied, smoothly.  
"Yeah, okay," she scoffed, "Like I wouldn't recognise one as soon as I saw it."  
"It seems I'm not the only one keeping secrets," Dirk smirked, "However I can assure you I am bound by contract to protect both you and cute little Janey, so..."  
"Jake didn't," she widened her eyes, releasing him slightly.  
"He did," Dirk purred, "And even accepted my little favour. His insistence on such silly words made him begging that much better."  
"Shit," she ran a hand through her hair, looking at him from the corner of her eye, "Roxy."  
"Dirk."  
"Pleasure."  
"It's all mine."  
"Bathroom's all the way at the end," Roxy stated, quietly, "Good luck with that." She gestured at his arm. He grinned.  
"Pink is pretty unusual," Dirk mentioned, "Almost didn't believe it. Thought maybe there was some trick of the light."  
"Yeah," Roxy walked away, biting her lip. Dirk headed for the bathroom, leaning against the frame upon arrival. Jake stood in the middle of the room, waiting, patiently.  
"You're actually hurt?" Jake asked, quietly.  
"Even I can't fake something this serious, Babe," Dirk replied, "I need salt."  
"What?" Jake blinked, confused. Dirk entered the room, closing the door behind him, "Salt. Pretty straight forward. A knife would also be helpful."  
"How can I help?" Jake wondered.  
"This," Dirk said, calmly, taking the knife Jake hands him and reopening his wound with a wince, "is not a normal wound. I was poisoned."  
"With what?" He asked.  
"Some demons call it the wicked elixir," Dirk answered, placing the knife on the counter and pulling Jake closer by his arm, "Me? I know what it is. It's pure and simple, evil. It comes from none other than the Big Bad, himself."  
"What?" Jake demanded, alarmed.  
"Don't you worry your pretty little head, it has no effect on humans. But for my kind, it's basically slow and torturous and spreads everywhere. Some of those who know anything on the matter have tried bottling it and selling it. Makara is the top salesman in the field. Ain't no demon living or otherwise of any kind that'd double crossed that fucker with how much of the shit he's got."  
"How do you get it out?" Jake wondered.  
"Ironically enough, salt in the wound will do the trick," Dirk informed him, "Unfortunately, the process is anything but painless."  
"Wait, but..." Jake frowned.  
"I don't pay you to object, toots," Dirk placed his finger beneath Jake's chin and shut his mouth, "I just not really sure what I might do if left to myself. You're going to have to anchor me."  
"Can't I just lock you in here or something?" Jake demanded.  
"Yes, because this door can really hold me back," Dirk scoffed, sarcastically. He took his shades off and placed them on the counter beside the knife, "Salt."  
"Oh, and I'm supposed to be able to?" Jake replied, grabbing it from his collection of supplies and handing it over, "Roxy has taken me in plenty of fisticuffs. Perhaps she should-"  
"I don't trust the bitch as far as I can throw her," Dirk refused, "And you shouldn't either."  
"She's my friend," Jake frowned, "And saved my life more than once."  
"She's got secrets," Dirk replied.  
"So do I," Jake replied.  
"Touché," Dirk stuck his open arm out, pouring the salt out on it, "Pucker up, Princess."  
"Wha-" Jake furrowed his brow in confusion, but he didn't get very far in his statement, because Dirk pulled him forward, smashing their lips together. A hissing noise came from beside them and he glanced out of the corner of his eye to see the arm smoking. Turning back to Dirk, he closed his eyes and kissed back, hesitantly. Dirk turned to push him against the door, resting his wounded arm above Jake's head. He felt dizzy as Dirk kissed him and pulled away for breath, panting heavily. Dirk's eyes opened and Jake saw panic in them before they clouded over completely orange. It wasn't the pretty color his irisis usually were, but rather a dark, murky orange. It made him freeze in fear as they glared at him.  
"Not what you bargained for, eh?" Dirk cooed, "Nasty stuff, this poison. Left to spread, it'd be a lot more torturous." He shot his head to the side, growling as a shot of pain pulsed through his arm."  
"What happened to your eyes?" Jake whispered, trying his best to push any fear he felt to the back of his mind. His fingers drift to his side where he would keep his pistols, but cursed silently when he realised he had not brought them.  
"Instinctive defense mechanism," Dirk replied, digging the fingers of his free hand into Jake's wrist and pulling it up to be level with his eyes, "Trying to shoot me, Babe?"  
"Instinctive defense mechanism," Jake returned, cheekily.  
"Mm. Snarky looks good on you," Dirk purred, latching his teeth onto Jake's neck, which caused him to groan and close his eyes, "But submissive does too. It such a hard decision to make."  
"Not your decision to make," Jake grumbled, lifting his chin a bit to allow Dirk better access and placing his hand on Dirk's shoulder.  
"I'm afraid with the right tugs and pulls it is," Dirk insisted, trailing his fingers down Jake's side.  
"Get bent," Jake huffed.  
"Patience, Darling," Dirk smirked, "Let your steak marinate a bit."

* * *

"Why the fuck do I have to wear this?" Dirk demanded, examining the wrapped part of his arm with disgust.  
"Appearances," Jake stated, "Unless you want them to think you're some kind of wuss and the injury was actually nothing."  
"Funny," Dirk grumbled.  
"How'd it go?" Roxy spotted them entering the main hall.  
"Fine!" Jake stated, a little too quickly.  
"I bet," Roxy turned to Dirk, grinning mischievously.  
"Don't get your hopes up, Roxy," Dirk frowned, "He didn't let it get that far."  
"Dirk!"  
"What's going on in here?" Jane wondered, walking in from another entrance.  
"Nothing!" Jake quickly insisted, fixing his shirt and patting his hair into place with little results, "I've just finished up with helping out Dirk with his wound and Roxy was checking how it went. Nothing more."  
"Yeah, okay," Roxy giggled, sarcastically.  
"You hush now," Jake turned to her, frowning in stern disapproval.  
"Well, if that's the case," Jane walked over the the table, pulling a map out of her back pocket and laying it out. The others crowded around her, watching as she pointed to a location, "I've heard a few rumors of a group east of the old marketplace. It's not certain whether they are humans or not, but we are running low on a few things thanks to a certain someone's insistence on giving any animals we catch a mercy killing, so either way we should go."  
"It seems inhuman to let them hang in the crude traps until they choke to death!" Jake stated.  
"Regardless," Jane continued with a roll of her eyes, "We are low on bullets. Not to mention some more food wouldn't hurt, considering we've got a new addition to the team, apparently."  
"Excellent find, Jane. Roxy, go get the weapons ready," Jake directed, "You know... Just in case."  
"Right," she nodded, heading off to fulfill her task.  
"Jane. Gather some things to trade," Jake continued, "Medical supplies first. We've got more than enough of that."  
"I'll grab the spare coats as well," she added, "The last ones had been willing to trade a lot for them and I was sorry I didn't bring them."  
"Excellent idea," Jake approved.  
"And me?" Dirk questioned.  
"You," Jake informed, folding up the map and turning to him, "You're coming with me."


	3. Chapter Three

"Where are we?" Dirk asked, following Jake behind the back of their little building. A metal fence lined the edge of the yard. Jake had warned against touching it, stating it was coated in salt and small pricks to cut into the skin of anyone stupid enough to come close.  
"No one comes out here much except to resalt the fences," Jake stated, sticking his hands into his jacket pockets and hanging his head, "It's... Our graveyard, in a way."  
"What?" Dirk blinked, confused.  
"Here," Jake paused before a patch of grass. A weathered down dog plush rested on it a stone near it, "That dog? His name is Becquerel. He was her best friend."  
"Her?" Dirk prompted.  
"My sister," Jake explained, "Her name was Jade. When we were very young, our parents died in a sinking cruise ship. We'd been sent to stay with Jane and her family at the time they were away, since our parents had been good friends. We went to live on our island, where are home was, after the incident. It was safe there. Jade, well... She'd been at the epicenter of the original ordeal for school. How she got out is anyone's guess. I like to think angels, since those were supposed to exist and all, but who knows."  
"Angels are basically just demons with a superiority complex worse than even ours," Dirk replied, frowning.  
"So I've come to collect," Jake nodded, "it's not like they've really done anything to help the situation."  
"Hmm," Dirk acknowledged.  
"Anyways, she made it to Jane's and was here for a while. The four of us were a pretty great team. We defended her house and we took care of one another. At the time, her father had been alive as well. James Crocker was completely off his rocker, but trust me when I tell you he could bake like no one you had ever met before. His cake supply, while obnoxious on occasion, was infinite and he made sure we never went hungry. We ate better than most for a very long time."  
"What happened?" Dirk inquired, his tone remaining neutral.  
"Our place was broken into," Jake answered, "Not by demons, but people. Like me or Jane or Roxy. Roxy and I got out with barely a scratch. Jane broke her wrist, but was otherwise fine. They shot James straight through the heart. Twice. I was horrified. Jade was nearly killed, but I shot the guy in the back of the head before he could finish her off. He didn't go without cutting down her side - about a foot and a half. Of course, back then we knew absolutely nothing about caring for wounds. It got infected and eventually she wasn't even really alive anymore. I put her out of her misery, we burned her body and we buried her ashes... here beside Jane's father. We were forced to leave everything behind on our escape. It was lucky we made it out with ourselves and the weapons in our hands."  
"And what is all this supposed to mean to me?" Dirk inquired.  
"I went back," Jake explained, "And I killed every single one of them. Kind of cold, true, but I didn't care. I still don't."  
"Do Roxy and Jane know?" Dirk wondered.  
"Yeah, sure," Jake scoffed, "I'm certain that they would have taken that lightly. There were exactly twenty one deaths at my hand that night. Jane was kind of naive and idealistic back then and Roxy has told me more than once she'd kill a murderer over a demon any day."  
"Is this supposed to scare me?" Dirk questioned.  
"No," Jake shook his head, "I don't want you scared. I just want you to know that, regardless of what happens to me, I don't have sympathies for those who hurt my family. The only reason you're here is because I know your kind have respect for your pacts. As soon as that is no longer applicable, I'm certain Roxy would be more than happy to do you in and I won't be warning you, again."  
"Hmm," Dirk frowned, but said no more. There really wasn't anything else to say. They stood over Jade's grave for another moment before Jake sent him in, telling him to check with Jane on what he should be carrying. He complied, allowing Jake time to kneel down beside it and pet Becquerel behind the ears.  
"He give you some threatening back story?" Jane asked, when Dirk emerged.  
"You could say that," Dirk nodded.  
"He tries to act like he's some big tough leader," Jane shook her head, fondly, "But trust me when I tell you he's the biggest softie I've ever met. When we were younger he used to jump off the couch claiming he was fearless but just cried when he landed wrong on occasion."  
"He sounds charming," Dirk chuckled.  
"In his own way, I suppose he is," Jane nodded, handing him a bundle of coats, "You'll be carrying these."  
"Are you going to be needing them?" Dirk inquired.  
"Not exactly," Jane shook her head, "We all have our own respective jackets for the colder months in Washington. Besides, none of us are really fond of these ones. The others won't say it because they don't want to seem ungrateful for what we have, but no one thinks wearing the jackets of dying children and mothers is exactly sanitary nor morally correct. Fortunately we have the luxury of choice. Others are not so lucky."  
"You killed people for jackets?" Dirk raised an eyebrow.  
"We found them dead," Jane answers, "Or very near it in some cases. Jake is often about mercy killings. If he doesn't believe someone can be helped, he puts them out of their misery."  
"And you?" Dirk inquired.  
"It's all a little too barbaric for me," Jane shrugged, "Let them live their course is what I say - Whether painful or not, it's still living and surviving, isn't it? I'd rather be left in pain than shot, given their position."  
"Hmm."  
"Come on, then... Let's get moving. I'm sure Roxy is already waiting for us outside." Dirk followed her out, the both of them stopping before Roxy, who held an array of weapons in her arms.  
"Jake has his pistols, my rifle, Jane's winchester... oh and," Roxy looked to Dirk, tossing him a sword, "That ones for you, Ranger?"  
"Sweet," Dirk caught it with one hand, holding all the coats in the other, and inspected it.  
"I figured you'd like it," Roxy smirked, "Ever wield a sword before?"  
"Once or twice," he shrugged, tucking it away in his beltloop.  
"Jolly ho. Are we all ready to be off then?" Jake appeared, taking the safety off his guns and pointing them upward.  
"Looks like it," Roxy answered, grinning widely.  
"Well let's, then," he winked, "If we hurry, we might be back in time for a late lunch."  
"We just had breakfast and you're already thinking about food, again?" Jane demanded.  
"Can you blame me?" Jake laughed.

* * *

"Hey, I have a question," Jake stated, leaning against a wall beside Dirk as Roxy and Jane dealt with the trading.  
"Hmm?" Dirk acknowledged him, apathetically.  
"How did you know I like movies?" Jake inquired, "I don't remember mentioning that to you, but when you were talking to Janey..."  
"I've been browsing through your memories," Dirk answered, "Deciding which one I want."  
"Are you going to pick any time soon?" Jake demanded, "The antisapation is pretty annoying."  
"You'll have to tell me which ones are off limits," Dirk replied.  
"I get two, correct?" Jake clarified.  
"Yes."  
"Righto," he considered, staring into the middle distance as if he were a movie protagonist, "Well, the first one is anything to do with my sister. Stay away from that."  
"A bit broad, but alright," Dirk shrugged, "Next?"  
"I'm still thinking," Jake replied, "it's not as if you're going to take my entire memory of how to ride a bike or something, though."  
"Who knows. I just might," Dirk grinned, cheekily.  
"And here I thought you didn't have a sense of humour," Jake rolled his eyes.  
"Maybe I could take away all the memories of having sex," Dirk turned and leaned over him, "Make you think you're a desprate little virgin."  
"Oh and just hope I would come to you?" Jake scoffed, "I highly doubt that's what would happen, pal."  
"I can be very alluring when I want to be," Dirk purred, nipping at his neck.  
"H-how so?" Jake pulled Dirk closer by the front of his shirt.  
"I've got my secrets," Dirk moved closer to his ear, voice just above a whisper, "You've got yours."  
"Bloody heck," Jake rested his head against the wall, "You're going to be the death of me, Sir."  
"I think it's not as bad as you make it sound," Dirk cooed, trailing nips and pecks down his neck and to his collarbone, "I think you'd rather like me tearing you apart piece by piece."  
"Ah-hem," Roxy's voice startled them both, especially Jake, who turned a scarlet colour and pushed Dirk away.  
"Roxy!"  
"If you two are quite finished..." She began.  
"I wasn't," Dirk grumbled.  
"Dirk!" Jake snapped, turning back to Roxy, "Yes. How'd it go?"  
"Well, we have a bit of a surprise..." She began, rubbing the back of her neck, "You see, they were interested in our stuff, but they wanted a little deal sweetener for the amount of food they were asking for..."  
"We didn't give then any weapons, I hope," Jake frowned.  
"No not at all," Roxy shook her head, "Who do you take me for? No, they wanted us to take something..."  
"What?" Jake tilted his head a little, confused. A loud bark alerted their attention, followed by Jane yelling a warning. Before Jake could quite comprehend the situation, a big dog jumped up on him, growling angrily.  
"Woah! Lil Seb! Down boy!" Jane ran over, pulling the dog away by the collar and shooting Jake an apologetic look, "Sorry about that."  
"You got a dog?" Jake groaned, taking Roxy's offered hand to stand up.  
"Isn't he a cutie?" Roxy beamed, taking both of Jake's hands and holding them to herself, "Can we keep him? Please, please, please?"  
"Alright, alright," Jake wrenched his hands free, rolling his eyes, "Did you get the food and bullets?"  
"Here," Jane held out a bundle to him, which he took and handed to Dirk, "It's all there. Both of us double checked."  
"Perfect," Jake approved, "Let us get back then, eh?"  
"It seems like we missed lunch," Jane glanced up at the sky, sadly. She held onto Lil Seb's collar, dragging him along.  
"Not matter," Jake shrugged away, "There is still always dinner, correct?"


	4. Chapter Four

The four of them settled into a relatively normal system. Roxy, as she always had, would make meals and Jane would stay on servaliance for new opportunities for trade or a demon nest to deal with - although none popped up. Jake kept an eye on the parameter and took care of the fencing, leaving Dirk to care for Lil Seb - who had taken a liking to just about everyone except for Jake. They were satisfied and it was quiet for about a week. That's until Jane came into the main hall with a particular case one day.  
"I think I found something," she explained, "It may be demons, but... They're acting awfully strange if it is."  
"By strange you mean..." Jake prompted, leaning over her to see the map better.  
"Weird bright lights, mostly," Jane answered, "But a few people have even been said to have felt a divine presence if they went within a certain radius of the area."  
"That is fairly abnormal," Jake scratched his head with his pistol, "Let's go check it out!"  
"Not bringing anything to trade this time?" Jane clarified.  
"No, I don't think so," Jake replied, "Whatever this thing is, it's chosen the wrong place to set up camp."  
"Only good demon is a dead one, after all," Jane agreed, pulling Roxy along to get their respective weapons.  
"She's clearly open minded," Dirk grumbled.  
"What are you going to cry?" Jake smirked.  
"You wish," Dirk scoffed.  
"Do I ever," Jake chuckled, walking off to grab a few things, "Go get ready. We'll be leaving soon."  
Once they all were set, the four of them, followed by Lil Seb - who stood loyally by Jane's side - were on their way, trekking the path to where Janey had pointed out on the map. Their trails ended at a small barn and everyone felt the sudden change of atmosphere upon arriving at it.  
"We shouldn't go in," Dirk paused, sending glares at the barn.  
"I'm in full agreement here," Roxy piped up, even going as far as taking a step back.  
"Oh, what are you scared?" Jake demanded, "We don't have time for this. Come on."  
"No," Dirk refused.  
"Well if you two are going to be pansies about this, you can stay out here," Jane added. Roxy and Dirk exchanged a glance.  
"Absolutely not," Roxy shook her head, "You're not going in without us."  
"Then let's," Jake stated, leaving them all to follow him. Jane was eagerly running after him, but Roxy and Dirk were not so quick to follow. He quietly pushed open the large door, peering inside. Against the opposite wall, crouched down and pulsing light was a figure. Inching slowly inside, Jake raised his gun, pointing it at them.  
"Please," they whispered, turning slightly to look at him, "Don't hurt me." Jake froze, staring at the face. It was the face of a little girl, perhaps six or seven. Tears were resting on her face and she sniffled.  
"Who are you?" Jake demanded, regaining his composure as best as he could.  
"M-my name's Aradia," she explained, quietly, "Please... I'm already hurt. Don't kill me."  
"What happened to you?" Jane wondered, taking another step forward. She moved the light and they realised that it wasn't just a light at all, but bright white appendages they could only assume were wings, however large gaping holes existed within them and she was wincing as they moved.  
"Oh my god, you poor thing," Jane crawled right up to her.  
"Jane!" Dirk hissed, making to stop her, but Jake put an arm in his way.  
"We need to kill it," Dirk stated, holding his sword at the ready and glaring as Jane pulled Aradia into her lap, comforting her.  
"She's a seven year old child, Dirk," Jake returned, sharply, "And injured. Put your sword away before you scare her."  
"It's dangerous and not human," Dirk returned.  
"So are you," Jake spat, making Dirk's glare turn to him, but he went ignored.  
"What are we supposed to do with her?" Roxy inquired, reserved.  
"We're going to take her back," Jake explained.  
"Are you fucking mad?" Dirk snapped, "She's a fucking beacon. Every single living thing or otherwise from here to Texas is going to see her and come running and you want to take her home?"  
"That's exactly what I want to do," Jake growled, shooting Dirk a hard glare, "And since you're so obviously against her, I suppose I'll carry her on the way." Jake tossed his guns to Dirk, who just barely caught them, and walked over to Jane, kneeling down to be at eye level with the little girl.  
"Hey there, Aradia," he smiled, kindly, "My name is Jake. That over there is Dirk and Roxy. You probably already met Jane. We're going to help you, but you have to come with us, okay?"  
"To where?" Aradia wondered, sheepishly.  
"Home," Jake answered, "We've got the greatest dog ever. Trust me you're going to love it. Oi! Seb! Comere boy!" Lil Seb ran between Dirk and Roxy, jumping onto Jake and growling, "Oh, come on! I'm trying to impress the ladies! Do you mind?"  
"What a loser," Roxy chuckled.  
He's gonna get us all killed," Dirk grumbled, clicking on the safety and tucking the guns away.  
"He's got a big heart, really," Roxy shook her head.  
"That's not just any old creature, Roxy," Dirk turned to her, "If anyone found out were harbouring an angel..."  
"I broke off from them a long time ago, Dirk," Roxy sighed, "I think it's about time you realise your loyalties and stick with them. If you run with us, you're going to be doing quite a lot of things otherwise considered wrong. Do you have any idea how many have threatened to expose me? How many I had to kill? This isn't some game. We're at war here."  
"I'm bound by contract," Dirk replied, "I don't have a choice."  
"I can tell you now the punishment for breaking contract and the punishment for harbouring an angel are very different," Roxy replied, "If you choose to stay, I hope you plan to stay because they surely won't take you back." Jake waltzed over, carrying Aradia on his back and blowing hair out of his face. Jane was giving him a fond look and Lil Seb barked at his heel.  
"Are we all done complaining over here?" Jake raised an eyebrow, "Because the rest of us would like to go home."

* * *

Jake smiled at Jane and Aradia one last time before exiting the room, closing the door with a soft click. Not a second passed before Dirk had him pinned against it, glaring daggers through his glasses.  
"Jane's not safe in there by herself," Dirk stated, "Just let me kill it, already. Save us all a load of trouble."  
"You are really wound up about this whole ordeal, Dirk," Jake said, pulling him a little closer and leaning up to whisper in his ear, "She'll be fine. Focus on something else for tonight."  
"I can't. Your stupid contract is causing all these problems. Don't complain," Dirk grunted.  
"Come on, Dirk..." Jake tried again, "I'll distract you from all these problems of yours."  
"You can't stop me from going in there and-" Dirk began.  
"For Pete's sake," Jake rolled his eyes, "Sleep with me."  
"What?" Dirk blinked, "Seriously?"  
"And the girls say I'm the dense one," Jake chuckled, "Yes. Come on. Leave them be."  
"No," Dirk shook his head, releasing Jake and stepping back, turning away.  
"No?" Jake frowned, confused, "You've got to be kidding. I can turn the corner without you trying to jump me and suddenly you're saying no?"  
"I can't," Dirk hissed, "Go to bed."  
"But-"  
"Now."  
Jake huffed, but walked off, passing Roxy on his way and asking her to keep Dirk from killing anyone tonight. She smiled and agreed, wishing him a good night.  
"Aren't you supposed to be jumping in there, swords blazing?" Roxy walked over to where Dirk sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. He looked up and his eyes were clouded over.  
"Go away," he commanded, turning back to the floor.  
"Just because that works on our fearless leader, it doesn't mean it will work on me as well," Roxy chuckled, sitting beside him, "Your eyes are cloudy, Dirk. Something you'd like to share?"  
"I just have a question," he replied.  
"Shoot," Roxy acknowledged.  
"When you... Left," Dirk turned to her, "What exactly was it like?"  
"Well," Roxy rested her head against he wall, closing her eyes to retrieve the memory, "I remember my sister wasn't to happy. She tried to do a lot worse than kill me, let's say. And then I had a few aquaintances that were more than happy to turn in a traitor. I had one human friend before Jake and Jane. His name was Jasper. Stupidly, I thought I could leave all that life behind and just be a normal human girl. It didn't go over so well. He was the same age as that girl in there. They turned him into a cat, which I was pretty pissed about, but at least he wasn't dead... And then a couple of schoolboys took him and drowned him."  
"Oh."  
"Yeah. Oh," Roxy reopened her eyes, shrugging, "I think part of me loved him like a big sister or a mother, but... I just never really understood quite completely until I lost him. After that, I spent a lot of time hunting down any demon that I could blame. It was in one of these hunts I joined Jake. Saved his life, actually. We banned together and him and Janey have helped me become more human. It's not a picnic, I'll tell you that, but it's surely worth it."  
"Why's that?" Dirk inquired.  
"Being a demon," Roxy replied, "We miss out on a lot of things, Dirk. Pain and misery and solitude are all nessessary, but... I think so is love and joy and peace."  
"Those are just small blips on a much larger scale," Dirk stated, "Little lies to help the lesser get through the day."  
"Or you could look at it the other way around," Roxy said, "But either way, you are missing out on a great deal."  
"So if I abandon my kind, like you did," Dirk concluded, "I'm going to have everyone turn on me for... What? The sake of a lie like you live?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"They don't know about you, Roxy," Dirk stated, "They don't know what you are."  
"What's it matter what I was?" Roxy questioned, "I consider myself as much a human now as any single one has the claim to be."  
"But your not," Dirk argued, "You're a demon."  
"No, Dirk. You're a demon," Roxy stood, brushing off her legs and giving him one last look, "It's not about what you were created as - What matters is what you are inside." With that, she turned and left, leaving him to his thoughts.


	5. Chapter Five

Dirk leaned against the door frame, watching silently as Jake slept, scowling at his dozing form.  
"_Way to go. Act like some kind of creep, Dirk_," he thought, furrowing his brow. Roxy had wished him a good night about an hour ago and the house was quieter than the dead of night. He crossed the expanse of the kneeling down beside the figure in bed.  
"Keep thinking about that other memory, Jake... I'll be back for my collection later," he whispered. Jake frowned slightly, but made no indication that he was waking. Dirk closed the door behind him, emitting nothing more than a soft click. He walked down the hall, pausing in the weapons room and picking up the sword, sentimentally. He tucked it into his belt loop and left everything else untouched. It wasn't like he needed it, anyways.  
He left the little hide out behind, fading away into the shadows and he walked from it.  
He found himself somewhere else, entirely, staring at a dark forest full of mangled trees and dying roots. Dark charred wood and crispy leaves fell to the ground silently. He tucked his glasses into his pocket, revealing his orange eyes.  
"You've been gone for a while," a voice said from his right and he didn't need to look to know who it was.  
"Yeah?" Dirk asked, apathetically.  
"Kill anyone while you were out?" His brother wondered.  
"No. Made a pact," Dirk answered.  
"Really? What a shame," Dave sighed, shaking his head, "I don't see why you even want to get involved in all that, Kid. So many goddamn rules. Isn't it just a lot better to be able to tear into every filthy human you meet?"  
"It's not like you don't have rules," Dirk scoffed, "Ones that you constantly break, may I add."  
"Speaking of broken rules," Dave licked his lips, a mischievous grin across his face, "Found this one hunter. Super cute. I brought him home and was wondering if you want a piece."  
"What? No," Dirk scrunched his nose, "Not interested."  
"Come on. I know you love it just as much as I do," Dave nudged him. Dirk rolled his eyes and agreed, following him to where they had their little makeshift shack of a home set up. Better than most demons, true, but still incredibly tiny and ill-kept. Dave pushed open the door and right smack dab in the middle of the room lay a young man, messy black hair and a pair of glasses rested on his nose. He glared at them as soon as they entered.  
"Who's this, then? Your partner? You two sickos take pleasure out of ripping apart someone like a big happy family?" he spat.  
"John, John. Calm down," Dave ruffled his hair, pulling his hand away just in time to avoid being bitten, "Really feisty, this one. Fell right into my little trap, you know? I'll take him second if you want first dibs. Pretty generous of me considering I could barely get him home I was so ecstatic."  
Dirk stared at the snarling boy, finding himself less and less interested in what his brother had in mind, "No thanks."  
"What?" Dave blinked, "Seriously?"  
"I'm not feeling it today," Dirk shrugged, "Have fun."  
"Whatever. Your loss," Dave took hold of the boy, dragging him off to the other room. Dirk simply sat on the dirty broken couch, flipping through a magazine and pointedly ignoring the screams coming from the room over.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Dirk today?" Jake asked, when they all sat down for lunch. Roxy placed a small cup of somewhat warm noodle soup and a piece of bread in front of each of them.  
"Can't say I have, Doll," Roxy shook her head.  
Jane added a quick, "Me either."  
"It's weird," Jake muttered, swirling around his soup and frowning, "His sword was gone from the weapons storage, but nothing else was touched. We had a lot more valuable things in there..."  
"Maybe he just went for a stroll?" Roxy suggested.  
"All day?" Jake frowned.  
"Who knows with that guy," Roxy shrugged, "You shouldn't worry so much, Jake. I'm sure that Dirk is fine. He's way more paranoid than any of us. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even sleep properly at night."  
"Oh that's really settling," Jake rolled his eyes, pushing his food away, "Thanks, Roxy, but... I'm not hungry."  
"Jake," she said, "You have to eat."  
"Later," he waved her away, "I've gotta go talk to someone. Take it to Aradia."  
"She already ate," Jane stated.  
"Poor girl is torn to shreds," Jake insisted, "She could use an extra ration." With that, he rose from the table, leaving the main hall. He found himself outside, sitting beside a rock with a plushie dog resting on it, just... Talking.  
Roxy caught a glimpse of him and frowned, silently contemplating exactly how should approach the situation.

* * *

Dave was passed out, his fingers curled around a bottle. Dirk cringed at the limp form on the couch. He didn't drink often, but when he did, Dave had absolutely no sense of boundaries. It was part of the reason Dirk'd prompted him into it, tonight. With his elder brother out of the way, he could get some shit done without being interrupted.  
Standing in the doorway to the other room, he caught a glimpse of a curled up John, cowering from the doorway.  
"What the fuck else do you want?" he snapped, wiping his eyes to try and remove any evidence he'd been crying, but his eyes were still red and puffy.  
"You're lucky today, shortstack," Dirk replied, "I'm feeling awfully generous, so how about you and I get out of here, eh?"  
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He demanded.  
"It means I've got people who will take care of you. Keep you out of the hands of assholes like my brother out there,"Dirk explained, closing the door and crossing the room to the dresser, rummaging through it.  
"H-he's your brother?" John asked.  
"Unfortunately," Dirk nodded, "I wish I could say he's repulsive even by demon standards, but I think that'd be lying."  
"Why are you helping me?" John questioned, "If you're really his brother, that means you're a demon too... Meaning you should be just like the rest of them."  
"I'm not really sure, quite frankly," Dirk replied, tossing him some new clothes, "Maybe I feel like breaking some rules, I guess."  
"I wasn't aware they had any," John muttered, wiggling into the outfit as fast as he could.  
"No see, that's the humans," Dirk replied, "You guys get to decide who to kill, who to be loyal to and what you do. Demons have got it hard, Kid. We're lucky if we get a free second to ourselves. Now, enough chat. Can you walk?"  
"Maybe?" John mumbled, scooting off the bed and trying to stand only to have his leg bend and he cried out in pain. Dirk caught him right before he hit the ground, "Apparently not,"  
"That's just fucking fantastic," Dirk took him and threw him over his shoulder, much to John's dismay, "Oh, quit squirming, you pansy."  
He silently opened the door, closing it just as quietly behind him. Making sure that there was no movement from the rest of the house, he snuck into the front room, both of them holding their breaths. They froze when Dave shifted, making a groaning noise. They remained like that for several seconds after he had went back to sleep. Dirk snuck through the front door, grabbing his sword on the way out.  
"That was pretty close," John mentioned, finally allowing himself to breath.  
"Don't start partying yet, bucktooth," Dirk replied.  
"My teeth aren't that bad," John huffed. Dirk rolled his eyes, trekking his way towards the forests edge. Just then, Dave awoke, somewhat groggily and sauntered to the bedroom, tossing the bottle aside.  
"Say, Jonney boy. Ready for another..." Dave began, but the room was empty and he clench his fists, anger boiling under his skin.  
"_**DIRK**_!"  
"Shit," Dirk swore, picking up his pace as a large red explosion glinted in the reflection of his sword.  
"What was that?" John stared.  
"That," Dirk replied, "Would be my brother." John could see something approaching them from the wreckage, gaining speed and looking much more like a monster than a person as he ran on all fours.  
"Uh..." John paled, his mouth hanging open a little.  
"Fuck," Dirk growled, "I just hope you know I should have dropped your sorry ass and saved my own skin by now."  
"Thanks for not doing that, I guess?" John mumbled.  
"Don't fucking thank me."  
Dave was far to close for comfort now and Dirk didn't have time to cut out a proper path through the trees and weeds in front of him. A stray branch slashed across his face, right below his eye and he cursed but kept running. Just as he was reaching the edge of the forest, Dirk and John began to fade, but not before Dave could launch forward and dig his claws into Dirk's leg.  
Jane, Jake and Roxy all stood in the main hall, discussing Dirk. Roxy insisted he would come home in his own time. Jane was saying she was worried he'd get hurt. Jake was trying his best not to voice his thoughts that Dirk would betray them, but was doing a pretty poor job. None of them expected him to appear in the middle of the hall, collapsing to his feet, with a body on his back. Immediately, all three of them took some weapon for the ready to attack. Jane grabbed a spoon off the table, Roxy held up her fists and Jake whipped his guns out.  
"I thought you said they were friends of yours," the one who was not Dirk said. Jane's face lit up in recognition and she ran to him.  
"John!"  
"Jane?" he blinked, confused as she pulled him into a hug.  
"You know him?" Jake asked, lowering his gun, slightly.  
"This is my cousin!" Jane informed, "Jake, you know him!" Jake frowned for a minute, recollecting a distant memory and then beamed.  
"Of course. I didn't recognise you, at first, my boy! Your hair got shaggier... And is that a wifebeater?" Jake asked.  
"It's just what he threw at me," John gestured over at the body beside him, "We were in a bit of a rush... He was kind of running from my attacker."  
"Dirk?" Jane grinned glad to see him alright, "We were all so worried about you! Where have you been?"  
"Out saving your cousin appearantly," he grinned, turning to look at her. As soon as their eyes met, she screamed, backing up. He shot his hands up and touched his face, realising his glasses were nowhere to be found.  
"Demon!" she cried, pulling her cousin up and standing in front of him, holding out the spoon as it would protect her, "Stay back you monster!"


End file.
